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He said: "His hatred of non-believers, extreme beliefs and interest in violent jihad began to crystalize into a plan to attack a member of the British military forces.

"He researched the locations of military bases; specifically locations of army cadets in southeast London.

"His idols were the two men who in May 2013 had murdered a young soldier, Lee Rigby, on the streets of Woolwich: Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale.

"Ziamani showed an increasing interest in radical Islam; posting Facebook messages which extolled the virtues of dying in pursuit of a violent martyrdom and of armed conflict with the West".

After being kicked out of his home when his Jehovah's Witness parents discovered his new-found religion, he turned to extremists in the Muslim group al-Muhajiroun - or ALM - who gave him money, clothes and a place to stay.

He attended their talks in the basement of a Halal sweet shop in Whitechapel and bought a black flag to take on their demonstrations, saying "I'm going to rock it everywhere I go in the Kaffirs' face".

After just months of learning about the Muslim religion, he posted comments on Facebook that he was "willing to die in the cause of Allah" and saying: "Sharia law on its way on our streets. We will implement it, it's part of our religion."

Ziamani posted images of severed heads on Facebook and added that he wanted to see the Islamic State of Britain and Ireland implemented.

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The Old Bailey heard how Ziamani wanted to 'harm' the Prime Minister

He also spoke of wanting to harm the Prime Minister. In an exchange from one police interview read to the jury, he was asked by officers to confirm what he had said in a previous interview, in which the tape recorder had broken.

The officer asked: "What would you do if you saw David Cameron and had an opportunity?

"You said you would do him harm if he had no security around?"

Ziamani replied: "Yes".

Of the Facebook posts, Ziamani claimed he made them in an attempt to "fit in" with the ALM group because they were giving him a place to stay.

Defence lawyer Naeem Mian told jurors Ziamani was naive who never had the intention of a terror attack.

He said: "If you do anything other than consider the evidence then those people who commit the terrorist atrocities have won so please know who it is you are dealing with - a naive, silly, blustering 18-year-old whose mouth has got him into the dock at the Central Criminal Court.

He added: "He is not on trial for the murder of Lee Rigby, he is not on trial for being offensive.

"He is on trial for having the intent to commit a terrorist attack and that intent was just not there."

Ziamani was found guilty of preparing acts of terrorism and remanded back inot custody.